Thursday, November 19, 2015

Welcome to our last Blog Hop for 2015! Soon, everyone will be caught up in the excitement of the Christmas season and we have a lot of project ideas for all your Christmas card giving needs. And maybe a home decor item or two as a bonus.

If you are following the Hop in order, you have arrived here from Marie's blog and your head is probably still spinning from her creativity! At any point in your journey, if you get off track, simply click on the Wacky Watercooler image above to go to the home blog.My first project is a CAS - clean and simple - one layer card. Very suitable if you want to make multiples quickly and not worry about mailing issues because of weight or lots of embellishments. This is CASED (Copy And Share Everything) from a card I saw on Pinterest. It was created by Tracy May, a fellow Stampin' Up! demo from the UK.

The sentiment is from the Wonderland stamp set - you know the one with those awesome trees! - and it's embossed with gold embossing powder. Of course, Basic Black cardstock is the base.Using the Tree Punch, it was really easy to punch some trees out of the Winter Wonderland Specialty Designer Paper. Love all the patterns in the collection!A tip as to how I lined up the trees: just put a mini glue-dot on the tip of one and attach the next one.The sparkly gold detail behind the trees is strands of gold from the gold cord that is available in the Holiday Catalogue. I didn't have a star punch or die small enough, and also didn't have any of the gold thread. As I was pondering what to do, I cut a length of the gold cord and coiled it up, but it was just too thick.Then, a lightbulb moment! Taking my paper piercing tool, I separated the strands and Ta-Da! - gold thread.I think this is an elegant and sophisticated Christmas card. Do you think so too?My next card is also a CASE - from the talented Sandi MacIver. Again, I found this on Pinterest. Hmmm - looks like I spend a lot of time on Pinterest!

The ornament shape was cut out of a scrap piece of paper and used the negative image to sponge the shape onto Whisper White cardstock using Island Indigo and Pool Party inks. I didn't have the lovely new snow flake stamp set, so I substituted the little snowflakes from the Wonderland stamp set and stamped them with Island Indigo - stamped off once.Taking the positive image next, use it as a mask to cover up the sponged image. Sponge bits of Pool Party in the background. Two of the little spots and stars stamps from the Jingle All The Way stamp set, inked with Island Indigo, add groupings of detail.Apparently, I'm all about bling for this Hop. Not sure why the 'merry' from the Christmas Greetings Thinlits and the sequins look gold. Everything is silver: Silver Glimmer Paper, silver sequins, a strand of silver from the silver cord (love that trick - will use it often!). A tiny rhinestone is placed beside each sequin.My third project gives into the bling completely! I've seen many samples of using the Delicate Ornaments dies to make a Christmas tree ornament, so this was inspired by all of them.

The solid ornament shapes are cut from Silver Glimmer Paper and the lacy shapes are cut from the Red Foil. A few rhinestones set off the centre detail, also cut from Red Foil.

I did have a problem trying to glue the red foil pieces to the Silver Glimmer Paper. Neither the Tombow liquid glue or the fine tip glue pen would work. Ended up using Mini Glue Dots.

And now, you are ready to carry on. Click on the 'Next' button below, and be transported to the wonderful world of Heidi's creations!

Monday, November 9, 2015

Whew! Talk about getting in just under the wire!In my defence, I did have my project done a few days ago, but the weather here on the BC coast has been rainy and gloomy and not great for picture taking.

As I was pondering Jackie's sketch, - you can see it on the Watercooler Wednesday blog - my eye happened to fall on a stamp set that's been sitting on my table ever since I finally ordered it a few weeks ago after coveting it ever since the 2015-2016 annual catalogue was released.

That set is Remarkable You.

It is perfect for colouring! And I love to colour!!

Since I've also been going through all my craft/stamping stuff and trying to purge, I had recently come across my one and only set of long-retired Stampin' Up! Watercolour Crayons - and here is the result:

I used Basic Black cardstock because I wanted the image to pop. It is coloured with Blush Blossom, Pretty in Pink, and Certainly Celery. Image is stamped with Archival Basic Black. The colours are very subtle, so I hope you can see them.

The flower is popped up with dimensionals on a circle and the image panel is also popped up.A strip from the Neutrals Designer Series Paper Stack and a few rhinestones finish it off.

challenge winner

Watercooler Wednesday Challenge

Honourable Mention

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"This is a personal web site of Gail Allen, an Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator, and I am responsible for its content. Stampin' Up! does not endorse the use of or contents of the classes, services, or non-Stampin' Up! products I may offer here."